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My issue was not with playing Sydney Uni with a stacked deck, they played those players within the by-laws.

My issue was seeing players that hadn't played Division 3 at all that season, Boyd and McPherson being two of 4 or 5 selected, luckily Tim Air held his spot in Div 2 as he was named in an extended Div 3 list. Again, the by laws allow it, and it's smart player management from SUANFC. So I'm not attacking the club, the players, rather the law itself. Surely there has to be a minimum number of games in a grade to allow you to take the field.

As for this comment - I mean there's no way Nor-West would have picked blokes in Div 5 yesterday that had played Div 3 during the season. Oh wait, looking at the team list it appears that there was about a dozen of them. Seems it's okay for some but not for others? yes, we had players in Div 5 that had played Div 3, of course, we only have two grades, but it is apples and oranges, as those players had played at least one game in Div 5 before being brought up to Div 3, no regular Div 3 players were dropped to Div 5 to boost their squad at all, and certainly none were playing their first game for the season in that grade, so your argument is 'Oscar'.

yes, we had players in Div 5 that had played Div 3, of course, we only have two grades, but it is apples and oranges, as those players had played at least one game in Div 5 before being brought up to Div 3, no regular Div 3 players were dropped to Div 5 to boost their squad at all, and certainly none were playing their first game for the season in that grade, so your argument is 'Oscar'.

Are you suggesting a rule that states you must have played one game in that division?

In every game there is going to be a cross-road, and when you get to that cross-road you either step up, or you step down!

PK, at the end of the day it is NW 1s playing Sydney uni's 4ths. I do see this as relevant. The fact they also played pd and 2nd div that same weekend and (assuming neafl players are ineligible) it was your best 22 against their best 67-88. I don't know what they are suppose to do. Leave 10 fit players on the sidelines? One would assume that this Sydney uni (div 3) team would have mostly played in round 1 before injuries kicked in. If anything, it's a criticism of divisionalisation which gives teams with 4 and 5 teams a massive advantage at times. The rule could something like once you've played 6 games in a division you cannot go down...even for home and away games. That might be fairer than nine games.

Last edited by Coastal Boy; 19th September 2014 at 10:46 AM.
Reason: Spelling

Don't worry, I know full well that we can't account for a 4th grade team. Pretty embarrassing in itself.

I didn't intend this as a dig at NW. Just highlighting that all lower grade teams strengthen up for the finals more than first grade outfits. It's just the way of the beast. If NW 4ths played SU 4ths then the same type of situation would be evident on both sides of the fence. Maybe a club should be limited to 3 senior teams. Spread the players around a bit. New clubs might form like BM and RCS.

I've been following the criticism of stacking etc. particularly criticism of Sydney Uni. I just looked back at their Div 2 GF side and out of the 22 selected players only 4 had played premier division through out the season. Melville (4 games), Coghlan (3), Browne (5) and B. Hawtin (1) and of the 5 best players only Melville had played PD and looks like Potts started in Division 4.

That could hardly be classified as stacking from PD and they clearly have won by being the best side of the season rather than relying on higher grades, they should have been elevated at the end of last year either way.

As long as Sydney Uni followed the rules set down by the League for qualification then this discussion is pure "Uni bashing"

The issue of stacking players is as old as the day is long. It happened in a two team comp and it will happen with divsionalisation.

Given the number of teams Sydney Uni field and given that all their NWSAFL teams were involved in the finals series I find it impossible to believe they deliberately manipulated anything, just a result of a competitive environment

Must have been embarrassing having a teammate (B. Johnston) reported and suspended for spitting & striking in this match Pekay?? Pretty low act

Can't see any issue with it, was a normal thing to do...

What a stupid question, how do you think it went down?

Poor form by him but completely out of character, and he's pretty embarrassed by the whole incident. He's only a kid and Lethal got under his skin. I'd have no issue if he had left it at the punch but these things happened, he's gutted by it.

Don't worry, I know full well that we can't account for a 4th grade team. Pretty embarrassing in itself.

I'm not sure it is something to be embarrassed about.

Sydney Uni was always considerably stronger and had far more depth than the western suburbs clubs. I doubt if the Jets/Hawkesbury would have beaten either their firsts or ressies often (if at all) before the current set up.

While the current system isn't perfect (nothing is), at least it attempts to have clubs competing against each other on something resembling a more even basis. If that means a club's first side plays another's second, or third, or fourth - so be it.

Sydney Uni was always considerably stronger and had far more depth than the western suburbs clubs. I doubt if the Jets/Hawkesbury would have beaten either their firsts or ressies often (if at all) before the current set up.

While the current system isn't perfect (nothing is), at least it attempts to have clubs competing against each other on something resembling a more even basis. If that means a club's first side plays another's second, or third, or fourth - so be it.

Not once did we manage to knock off Sydney Uni in the old SFA as the Jets, or Hawkesbury, in either Seniors or Reserves. The only other club we couldn't account for prior to 2004 (when the old SFA changed, with Uni and Wollongong going up) was Holroyd-Parramatta. The first time we beat their Seniors was in a final in 2010.

And you're right, it's a mark of their incredible depth, still hurts though. However, I'd much prefer the set up as it is, maybe tweaked a little as some have suggested, but I don't miss the old days of week to week hidings.

Must have been embarrassing having a teammate (B. Johnston) reported and suspended for spitting & striking in this match Pekay?? Pretty low act

Spitting ?? Up in the Hawkesbury Valley ?? Pekay, say it isn't so.....
I've been to the Hawkesbury Show and I've seen the polished quality people that live up your way - I'm sure there's been some kind of mistake.
I reckon you people even remember to slide open the side window on the Massey Ferguson before you flop one.
Tell me you'd never spit, Pekay.